6/02/2009 @ 3:20PM

Wii Takes Gamers' Pulses

On Tuesday the Japanese gaming giant unveiled the Wii Vitality Sensor, a device for measuring videogame players’ pulses. The device, which will attach to Nintendo’s wildly popular Wii system, could lead to games designed to help people relax and cope with stress, as well as add a new dimension to the fitness games that made Wii a hit with a wide range of gamers.

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata briefly teased the heart-rate gizmo during an hour-long press conference at the annual E3 videogame trade show in Los Angeles. Iwata, however, didn’t say what role the new sensor will play in upcoming games.

The Wii Vitality Sensor represents another milestone in Nintendo’s quest to break down traditional definitions of videogames. The Wii proved that virgin players will try new games if the control devices are intriguing and easy to learn. Unlike traditional game consoles, the Wii operates with a TV remote-like controller that senses player movements.

Among Nintendo’s most popular titles are “Wii Fitness,” which gets players in shape by having them balance on top of a controller, and “Brain Age,” a collection of cognitive puzzles. Neither fits any of the traditional categories, like gunfighting adventures and role-playing fantasies that most game publishers thrive on.

Nintendo is also re-making the Wii remote as the Wii Motion Plus. The enhanced controller senses precisely how the player is holding it. To show off the new capabilities, Nintendo demonstrated its new “Sports Resort” game in which players can shoot three-pointers, fire arrows at distant targets and skydive using the new controller.

Nintendo is fighting to maintain its lead in developing innovative game controls. Rival
Microsoft
said Monday it is working on a controller-less device for the Xbox that uses a camera to capture players’ movements.

While Nintendo will continue to focus on cartoonish, simple games like “Sports Resort,” the company said a slew of outside companies are building Wii games that incorporate the violence and action more common on other systems. For instance, Capcom is building on its horror franchise “Resident Evil” for the Wii; Ubisoft will release a follow-up to its shooter “Red Steel.”